Lee Strobel, the former investigative journalist and atheist, who became a Christian apologist and author, interviewed Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy, for his TV program.

On the John Ankerberg Show, Ankerberg asked Strobel about their encounter at the infamous Playboy mansion.

“I asked him about the resurrection and he seemed confused,” Strobel said. Pressing further, he asked, “What about the evidence for the resurrection?”

“What are you talking about?” Hefner asked.

“What do you do with the historical data that support the return of Jesus from the dead?”

Hefner looked blank. “I have never heard this before.”

Lee Strobel

Strobel handed Hefner a copy of his book The Case for Christ.

Hefner began to flip through the Table of Contents and said, “This is fascinating. Nobody has ever told me this before. If this is true, this trips a whole bunch of dominoes that have a wonderful effect. I am getting to be an old man. I wish it were true that there were eternal life.”

“You know what, look into the evidence yourself,” Stobel urged. “Come to your own verdict. But I am telling you there is convincing, there is powerful, persuasive, compelling evidence that Jesus did return from the dead. And when He tells His followers they will spend eternity with Him, we can believe Him as a result.”